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John McCain – A Hero Who Deserves My Vote

Last night I had to make a quick trip to the grocery store. While waiting at the check out, I noticed a clearance sale on a DVD rack that I had not noticed in this store before . Two thoughts went through my mind before I stepped over to the rack to look. First I thought, ” everyone wants to get into the DVD business.” Then, ” what the heck, let’s see what they have.”

I am a movie buff and collect DVD’s so this was a natural fix for me. As I was looking through the rack I quickly discovered that I either had many of the movies or was not the least bit interested in watching others until I came upon one that I had considered before. The name of the movie was, “Faith Of My Fathers,” an A & E movie based on the autobiography of Senator John McCain.

This was not the first time that this DVD has caught my attention but for one reason or another I either made a different purchase before or just bypassed the movie completely. Last night, especially at half price, I made the purchase and decided to watch the movie.

I have read about and heard the story of John McCain’s captivity in the Hanoi Hilton many times before. As an avid reader I have considered many times reading the book that this movie is based upon but just as with the DVD, another book sparked my interest more and McCain’s book was left on the shelf to consider another day.

After enjoying a quick supper and watching a few minutes of Hannity and Colmes which bores my family as they are not the news hounds or political junkie that I am, I started the movie. No one could pull themselves away until the final credits went across the screen. While movies never portray the full extent of traumatic experiences like that endured by McCain in the Hanoi Hilton, this film brought a new understanding and respect for this American hero.

Watching the extreme torture and abuse that John McCain endured for five and a half years, the honor and bravery that kept both he and his fellow captures alive amidst the worst that any man could be forced to endure, had a profound affect on my view of who John McCain is and what he stands for.

The stamina and honor that allowed him to survive under the most dire circumstances, the strength of character and physical ability to fight his captures despite wounds that were slow to heal and even aggravated because of the lack of medical care and continuous torture that was directed toward those wounds and prevented proper healing of wounds that were received when his plane was first shot down shows what this man is made of.

I like many conservatives have had my disagreements with John McCain during his tenure as a United States Senator. Disagreements that to an extent have been put aside because of changes that I have seen and heard during the course of the campaign as I have had the opportunity to see who John McCain is and what he truly stands for.

Watching the movie, seeing a portrayal of the heroism of the real and great American hero that John McCain is not only strengthened my belief that he is the best candidate to be our next President and Commander in Chief but I saw a man who will not waver from his principles and who has the strength to stand for what is right and best for this Nation.

While enduring what he did at the Hanoi Hilton does not qualify him to be President of the United States it does prove the character, devotion to country and strength of principles that makes a great President.

This combined with his strong stance on the pressing issues that we face today and his unwavering faith in the cause of freedom and liberty that this country was founded upon and continues to fight and stand for today as well as his belief in the American people and that government should get out of the way solidifies for me that John McCain has not only earned my vote but deserves my vote!